Field Notes Ohio

Ohio's parks, forests and wildlife areas with camping, the ancient mounds beside them, and the Buckeye Trail that links them. Stories, trails, wildlife, and where to eat and fuel up nearby. Book campsites on ReserveOhio.
Try:
The Buckeye TrailA 1,444-mile blue-blazed loop around Ohio, with all 26 sections.
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Mounds & Earthworks43 ancient sites, including the Great Serpent Mound and the Newark Earthworks.
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Historic Sites39 places, from Fort Steuben and Zoar to Camp Chase and the Rankin House, from the frontier to the Civil War.
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Road Trips33 drives, from the Lincoln Highway to the Morgan Heritage Trail.
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Lake Erie Beaches20 public beaches from Conneaut to Toledo and the islands, with a map.
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Oddities & Roadside Attractions19 giants, ghosts and folk-art stops, plus a Mothman just over the line.
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Caves & Caverns12 show caverns, recess caves and rock shelters, with a map.
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Waterfalls34 falls from the Cuyahoga Valley to the Hocking Hills, with trail notes and a map.
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Explore Ohio

One map for every park, mound, historic site, beach, cave, waterfall and oddity in the app.

Lake ErieWest Virginia27 places277 places77 places73 places35 places519 places1913 places1319 places1916 places168 places810 places1010 places109 places98 places820 places204 places43 places3Barkcamp State Park4 places47 places77 places76 places69 places917 places173 places3Harrison Lake State Park2 places2Forked Run State Park3 places32 places26 places610 places103 places32 places2

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117 parks in 7 regions

Norwalk Section

Huron, Erie, Lorain · West & Northwest Ohio
Buckeye Trail Association
52miles
23 of 26clockwise
3counties

Gentle farmland, villages and rail-trail scenery.

Goes through Norwalk and Wakeman on rail-trail and country roads, heading toward Findley State Park.

Highlights

  • Norwalk and its historic depot
  • Wakeman
  • Wellington Wildlife Area, listed on the ODNR route map

Parks on this section

Wellington Wildlife Area
Small state wildlife area listed on the route
Open

Historic sites near this section

Thomas Edison Birthplace Museum
The house in a canal port where Edison was born
Open

Section map and alerts

Show this section on the mapDistances between stops in this section

The Buckeye Trail Association sells a detailed map for this section and posts current trail alerts.

Official Norwalk Section page →This section on AllTrails →

Camping

  • Camping is limited; Findley State Park has camping just beyond the section

Campsites are run by different agencies and owners, and the rules and fees change, so confirm before you go.

Water

Water in towns; limited along the rail-trail.

Take the stops with you

Save the camps, resupply, lodging, trail towns and parks for this section as waypoints.

Google Maps: stops 1 to 3

The file holds 3 waypoints and a stop-by-stop route line. Locations are approximate, often a town center, so use the stop notes to find the exact spot. Your maps app chooses the roads between stops, usually the fastest, so follow the byway signs where they differ. The GPX arrives in a zip file; unzip it and open the .gpx in a GPS or hiking app. The CSV imports into Google My Maps.

Resupply

Norwalk and Wakeman have services.

Food and fuel

Norwalk Trail Town
A rail-trail town on the Norwalk Section, with a historic depot restaurant.
Freight House Tavern
In an 1853 railroad depot; open daily
Directions
Circle K
Open 24 hours
Directions
Wakeman Trail Town
A village of historic architecture and natural beauty.
Wakeman Elevator Craft Beer & Wine Barn
Right on the Buckeye Trail and welcoming to trail hikers; open Thursday to Sunday
Directions
El Catedral Cocina and Bar
Mexican; open daily
Directions
Mickey Mart
Open 24 hours with a Subway; reviews say it is the only gas station for about six miles, and the pumps and card readers are sometimes down, so carry cash
Directions
Near Wellington Wildlife Area
The Fox Den
Diner and bar under one roof, opens 7 a.m. Closed Mondays
Directions
Dimitri's Corner Restaurant
Open 7 a.m.–9 p.m. daily, big portions, cheap. Across from the 1885 town hall
Directions
bp
24 hours, south side of Wellington toward the park. Has a Dunkin inside
Directions

Details last checked 2026-09-22. Confirm hours and prices before you go.